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CloseToLakay

This Start-up is helping Haitian focused businesses broaden their markets beyond their communities!
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This Start-up is helping Haitian focused businesses broaden their markets beyond their communities!

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As a Haitian immigrant who arrived in New York in 1987, Mrs. Pierre (called Sr. Pierre by her friends and colleagues) is a successful Small business owner who is proud to be living manifestation of the American dream come true. Raising 3 kids and blessed to also partake in raising her many grandchildren, Pierre knows the true value of family and leaning on community support networks in order to overcome life’s everyday twists and turns. Pierre rents a section within Flatbush Caton Market and utilizes her shop to sell a range of Haitian sourced products and goods. Having been in business for a number of years and being surrounded by other retailers who are managed by like minded business owners with similar products as hers,  Pierre knew she wanted to expand and ramp up her sales to a broader market; but was unsure of how to further increase her revenue and support the demand for her products, beyond the Haitian-American community in Flatbush Brooklyn.

“This market place is great because everyone who shops here lives in the neighborhood or stops by from driving from Long Island, New Jersey or when they visit NYC. Those who are just visitors always tell me that they would love to purchase my products more often, but they have to physically come into Brooklyn, which isn’t always easy due to life’s other dependencies.” As interesting and inspiring as Sr. Pierre’s story is, she isn’t alone. Hundreds, if not thousands of business owners who have products focused on procuring and selling goods that are Haitian themed are looking to expand their client base as well as get their products in front of the Haitian diaspora globally. Inspired and motivated by the business issue that vendors like this face, another entrepreneurial Brooklynite named Jonathan Foucault created CloseToLakay.com in order to help them achieve this goal.

How CloseToLakay Works

CloseToLakay (C2L) has a number of vendors within the continental US and in Haiti, whom they partner with  in order to bridge the connection between the vendors, such as Pierre, and end customers in one singular marketplace. “ I started C2L in 2018 because I noticed that my family members and friends were still requesting that family members who went back to Haiti should retrieve particular products and goodies on their back from their trips to Haiti. It seemed crazy to me that in this day and age, they would rather wait for these family members to return from Haiti with the products as opposed to driving down to the primarily Haitian communities (if their neighborhoods had any), and purchase these products as they pleased.” Concurrently, these small business owners who were entrepreneurial in spirit and in action, needed a E-commerce based solution of competing within the retail business, all while remaining authentic and true to the rich culture of the world’s first free Black Republic. Customers who are looking for these products can search online at CloseToLakay.com where there will find an assortment of the Haitian goods and services, being conveniently provided to them and allow them to continue enjoying and pushing the culture forward.

Sometimes called “ The Haitian Amazon” CloseToLakay pivitol on-demand marketplace also serves as a platform to connect business services offered by Haitian, Caribbean, African and American entrepreneurs to the Haitian diaspora and lovers of the culture alike; further empowering the need to support Black Businesses and allow epitomizes the recirculation of the ‘black’ dollar throughout its community.  

The Diaspora at work

CloseToLakay is not the only company looking to solve these local business and social issues within the US and Haiti and economically connecting the ever growing diaspora to products from Haiti. Contrary to popular belief, Companies such as RoyalCremas.com, Bonbonlakay.com, TasteofHaitibox.com, and Haitianswhoblog.com offer products and services that the diaspora can look to utilize, enjoy, easily order from for years to come. Other companies like @TrendCatchNY devizes and implements the latest marketing marketing strategies for small to medium size Haitian and other Caribbean owned businesses in order to increase their visibility and conversions and increasing brand awareness to the thousands of Caribbean patrons who visit Caribbean and afro centric brick and motor locations throughout various neighborhoods in the US.

The Haitian buying power is more evolved and sophisticated than ever before. With remittances from the US to Haiti totaling $$$ and Haitian Americans dominating professional services more today than ever before, CloseToLakay.com can help lead the next wave of exposure and prominence to the historic island and usher in new wave of commerce that can inject those back home with money and opportunity for growth opportunities.

“My goal for C2L is to grow this into not only an online marketplace that services local business owners, but as a central place where the Haitian diaspora all over the world can purchase, sell, market, raise funds and feature all businesses and buyers of the culture alike; similar to how it used to be back at lakay (home in Haitian-Kreyol). “

C2L is currently in its first round of funding. To donate visit CloseToLakay.com for more info. Interested investors can E-mail Info@closetolakay.com for more information about investment opportunities.

Squash Soup (Haitian Soup Joumou)
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Squash Soup (Haitian Soup Joumou)

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This savory squash soup is served on Haiti on January 1, the anniversary of Haiti’s liberation from France. It is said that the soup was once a delicacy reserved for white masters but forbidden to the slaves who cooked it. After Independence, Haitians took to eating it to celebrate the world’s first and only successful slave revolution resulting in an independent nation.

Yield: serves 6-8

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 scallions, sliced, plus more for garnish
  • 1⁄4 cup roughly chopped parsley
  • 1⁄2 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 medium shallot, sliced
  • 1 scotch bonnet chile, stemmed and seeded
  • Juice of 1 lime, plus wedges for serving
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 lb. beef chuck, cut into 1/2″ pieces
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 8 cups beef stock
  • 2 carrots, cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
  • 2 stalks celery, cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
  • 1 small leek, trimmed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2″ pieces; rinsed
  • 1 small yellow onion, cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
  • 1 large Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
  • 1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
  • 1⁄2 small green cabbage, cored and cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
  • 1⁄2 small kabocha squash, cut into 1″ pieces

Instructions

  1. Puree garlic, scallions, parsley, thyme, shallots, chile, juice, salt and pepper, and 1⁄2 cup water in a blender until smooth; mix with beef in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
  2. Remove beef from marinade and dry with paper towels; set aside. Heat oil in a 8-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook, turning as needed, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add stock and and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender, about 1 1⁄2 hours. Add carrots, celery, leeks, onion, potatoes, turnips, and cabbage; cook, slightly covered and stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, bring squash and 2 cups water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until squash is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1⁄2 cup cooking liquid and transfer squash and liquid to a blender; puree until smooth and set aside. When vegetables are tender, uncover, and stir in reserved squash puree; cook, stirring occasionally, until soup is slightly thick, 5–10 minutes more; season with salt and pepper and serve with scallions and lime wedges.

Sourced from Saveur.com

https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Soup-Joumou-Recipe/ 

Haitian (Djon Djon) Black Rice
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Haitian (Djon Djon) Black Rice

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Djon Djon Rice is a uniquely Haitian delicacy made with black djon djon mushrooms, grown in the north of the island. It is very popular in the Haitian community at home and abroad. Along with Griot (fried pork), it’s one of the signature dishes of Haiti.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups long grain rice, uncooked
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup Djon-Djon mushrooms
  • 1 green scotch bonnet pepper, whole
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 1 (12oz) can green peas or lima beans
  • 4-6 whole cloves

NSTRUCTIONS

  1. Simmer mushrooms in 4 cups of water for 10 minutes. Allow to cool, and then blend until smooth.
  2. Strain with a cheesecloth lined strainer, reserving the liquid.
  3. Heat oil in a cast-iron pot over medium heat. Saute the garlic, onion, and shallot for 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 3 minutes. Add 3 cups of the reserved mushroom water, the salt, cloves, and lima beans or green peas. Bring to a boil and cook until the water evaporates.
  4. Lower heat, stir in the butter, and place the whole scotch bonnet pepper and thyme on top of the rice. Cover pot tightly and cook for 20 minutes.
  5. Remove hot pepper and thyme, stir, and serve.
Adapted from Everything Haitian & Tastetheislandtv.com 
 

Order Djon Djon and other ingredients @CloseToLakay.com